Mobile Data Usage in Pakistan to Reach 12 GB/month by 2028

According to an industry official, the average cellular subscriber in Pakistan now uses 7.5 gigabytes (GB) of mobile data per month, up from 2 GB in 2018. According to Aamir Ibrahim, Jazz CEO, mobile data usage in Pakistan will reach up to 12 GB per month by 2028.

“If this trend continues, the average Pakistani cellular subscriber could be using up to 12 GBs per month in the next five years,” Ibrahim said.

Jazz CEO cautioned that the telecom industry’s dollarized cost structure had caused the per-user average revenues to dip to $0.75 – the lowest globally.

Mobile Data Usage in Pakistan to Reach 12 GB/month by 2028

Check Also: Govt to Establish New Board to Uplift the Telecom Services

“An ARPU [average revenue per user] below $1.5 is not sustainable for the industry to operate.” He also pointed out import ban restrictions on essential telecom equipment limiting telecom operators’ ability to expand connectivity and even perform routine maintenance operations impacting service reliability.

“Import ban restrictions have caused some of the newly established smartphone manufacturing units in Pakistan to shut down. This could make even the most motivated industry players give up the dream of becoming Vietnam or India in terms of local manufacturing, and ultimately further inflate the import bill.”

Ibrahim added that while the industry was seeking to accelerate the original digital ecosystem, the fiscal health of the telecom assiduity remained oppressively impacted due to an unknown rise in business costs.

In the last two years, power, electricity, and forex rates have increased by 172 per cent, 67 per cent, and 86 per cent independently. Given the capital-intensive nature of the telecom sector, indeed a single- point increase in interest rate translates into an added financial burden of Rs1.5 billion for the industry. According to the industry’s official, here has been a fourteen- percentage- point increase in the interest rate compared to 2021.

Regarding taxes up to 34.5 per cent on telecom users, Jazz CEO proposed the government consider the abolition of withholding tax in the upcoming federal budget to promote the affordability of mobile broadband for low-income segments of society.

See Also: Government May Reduce Duty On Mobile Phones In Budget 2023-24

PTA Taxes Portal

Find PTA Taxes on All Phones on a Single Page using the PhoneWorld PTA Taxes Portal

Explore NowFollow us on Google News!

Onsa Mustafa

Onsa is a Software Engineer and a tech blogger who focuses on providing the latest information regarding the innovations happening in the IT world. She likes reading, photography, travelling and exploring nature.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Back to top button
Get Alerts!

PhoneWorld Logo

Join the groups below to get the latest updates!

💼PTA Tax Updates
💬WhatsApp Channel

>